The 2021 Definitive and Totally Unbiased Guide on How to get into the Toaru Series (and why you should!)

Update: Spreadsheets more your thing? Check out this spreadsheet I made of all Toaru media and their release dates and dates in the chronology!

This blog doubles as a video! For the full experience please watch the video below, but feel free to refer to this blog for a text-based guide as you like.

Back in 2017 I published the “Definitive and totally unbiased guide on how to enter the Toaru series (and why you should!)” here on this blog that managed to get a lot of positive attention from people curious in the series and long-time fans alike. Since then I’ve received a lot of requests to update or remake the blog with information on all the new content that’s been made available since then. But I figured, if I was gonna remake it, I wanted to put in the effort to make it extra presentable. So that’s what I’ve done!

https://miro.com/app/board/o9J_l6ZStvI=/?invite_link_id=710717823331

Presenting the Toaru Series flowchart! A manic burst of inspiration comprising about 7 hours of work. It may be a lot to take in at a glance, but that’s why I’m here! The goal of this guide is merely to present all of your options on how to experience the story, because there are so many different ways to enjoy the Toaru series. When you break it down, it’ll start getting a lot simpler.

But let’s say you just want a quick and dirty guide on what order to watch the anime in. In short, you can either start with Index 1 or Railgun 1 or Railgun S even. Once you’ve watched Index 1 you can watch Accelerator or go straight to Index II, then Index III, and only after watching all of Index and the rest of Railgun should you watch Railgun T. There, you can all go watch Toaru now! But assuming you either want a bit more explanation for this watch order, or you want to mix and match your viewing experience, or perhaps you’re even interested in the various novels and manga, then strap in because I’m gonna blow this whole thing wide open!

Before we get into the guide itself though, I wanna provide a brief introduction to the series for those new to Toaru; doing so will also make it a lot easier to explain the different paths the flowchart takes. I’ll try my best to keep it brief, but I apologise in advance for any tangents I end up on!

So, the Toaru series is a mixed media franchise authored by Kamachi Kazuma, a mad genius who physically cannot stop writing. The story is set in a familiar Earth where each of the world’s major religions and spiritual organisations have within them magicians who wield the power of magic to meddle in international affairs in secret. Though this isn’t your garden variety of JRPG magic. The magic in the Toaru series is heavily researched and based upon real-world occultism and mysticism. The central principle of how magic works in Toaru is Idol Theory; the idea that symbolism, representation or imitation of some object can invoke the same properties and attributes of the original. An everyday example of this would be the rituals of baptism and eucharist in Christianity using everyday objects, food and drink to invoke the properties of God and Christ. In the context of Toaru, this can be applied to a near infinite number of fantastical applications. Using runes to summon a giant of fire taking on the likeness of the witch-hunting Pope Innocent VIII. Constructing a magic circle by use of onmyoudou, feng shui and coloured origami representing the four cardinal directions and the four guardian animal gods of Japan. Wielding an obsidian dagger based on the Aztec god Tlāhuizcalpantecuhtli to reflect the light of Venus to destroy anything that light touches. These are just some of the potential applications of magic. And most importantly, anybody can perform magic with enough hard work and effort. That is, with the sole exception of Espers, who are unable to perform magic without sustaining grave injury. 

Developed through a specialised curriculum and a cocktail of unknown drugs over the period of a child’s schooling, Espers are children who have awakened to unique supernatural powers. These powers seemingly have nothing to do with Idol Theory or rituals or incantations or life force, all that’s required for an Esper to manifest their ability is for them to perform the proper calculations in their mind. Some examples of Esper abilities include the ability to manipulate the friction coefficients of objects, the power to launch electrons in the ambiguous state between particle and wave and fire them as deadly beams of light, the control over the emotional distance between people, or the ability to implement the principles of string theory to teleport by moving through 11-dimensional space.

However, because each Esper’s powers are unique and will manifest differently, there are many with weak or immeasurable powers, and so it creates a system where the most successful Espers get the most attention and funding, while those who show no results fall through the cracks and often fall into a life of crime just to survive. The primary setting the Toaru series takes place within is Academy City, an independent and walled-off city-state within the island of Japan with a population of 2.3 million which produces and contains all the world’s approximately 1.8 million Espers, along with many scientific research institutions. It is said that the technology of Academy City is 20 to 30 years ahead of the rest of the world, and it protects the secrets of its technology from leaking to the outside world with an iron grip. But don’t let my anti-academy city propaganda fool you, the city is a scientific utopia for most people living in it! As long as you’re a mid-level Esper you’ll be free to enjoy a fun and relaxing life, just don’t look under the surface to the insidious dark side of the city and you’ll be fine! It’s not a capitalist dystopia at all. Oh and, don’t bother looking up the  name of the founder and board chairman of Academy City, Aleister Crowley on Wikipedia. He definitely doesn’t have any relation to the real world English occultist of the same name who died in 1947.

The tone of the series is quite eclectic and fluid, dancing between super serious political intrigue and crime drama, light-hearted comedy and somewhat questionable fanservice, fast-paced, flashy and highly tactical battles, and more than a few powerfully evocative moments that really tug at the heartstrings. The world of Toaru is rife with corruption, but the heart of the series is filled with a warmth and hope that refuses to be extinguished, no matter what horrible things may happen to our protagonists. It’s a story that examines what it means to be a hero from every angle. The ideology of a hero, the strength and/or power needed to be a hero, how heroes impact and inspire those around them to action, and how heroes can be seen as threats to the status quo and those in power, and how it takes more than special powers to be a hero or a villain.

So then, let’s take a step back from the setting and talk about the franchise. The Toaru series began with a series of Light Novels titled ‘Toaru Majutsu no Index’ or ‘A Certain Magical Index’ which began serialisation in 2004, and continues to go strong with 3-4 new books every year, with a current total of about 50 volumes, not counting side stories, of which there are quite a few. And as if that wasn’t enough, the success of the Index light novels saw a spinoff series ‘Toaru Kagaku no Railgun’ or ‘A Certain Scientific Railgun’ commencing serialisation in 2007.

Both Index and Railgun have received different adaptations as well. A manga adaptation of Index started serialisation in Monthly Shonen Gangan in 2007. The following year an Anime of Index began broadcasting it’s first season in 2008, followed by an anime of Railgun in 2009. There’s also some other media, but we’ll get to them later.

So, this brings us to the question: where does one start? Time to bring up my flowchart! Generally speaking, there’s two ways you can start. You can either start with Index with the Index arc, or you can start with Railgun with the Level Upper arc. Both stories occur more-or-less concurrently at the start of the timeline in the story, so you can really start with either one. Index serves as a great introduction to the multi-layered world of Toaru and throws you right into the action, while Railgun takes a slower approach and focuses more on Academy City and the science side of the world. There’s also differences depending on which adaptation you pick. Notably, the Railgun manga is much shorter and more condensed than the Railgun anime, which opted to add a lot of filler and anime-original story arcs to reach a full 24 episodes. What you end up with is an anime that feels a lot more… Fluffy than the rest of the Toaru. A lot more girls doing cute things, just relaxing and having a good time, in between solving crimes and conspiracies. A lot of people really love the atmosphere of Railgun’s first season, but it is a notable departure from the general feel of the rest of the series, so that’s worth keeping in mind when making your decision.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you. The debate of which series to start with continues to this day, but as someone who’s consumed all of the story, my personal recommendation is that it’s best to start with the intended beginning of the series and read or watch the Index arc first. As for which medium you choose, that’s another topic that requires some examination! As you might expect, Index is a very wordy light novel series full of inner monologues, lots of dense examination of the workings of magic and sci-fi concepts, and plenty of worldbuilding. These are things that get largely trimmed out of the anime adaptation, so what you’re left with is a much lighter viewing experience. For some this may be preferable, but if you really want to fully immerse yourself in the world and the characters of Toaru, my recommendation is always going to be to read the Index light novels over the adaptations. There’s also the problem that the anime tends to suffer in some places. Some books get as few as 3 or 2 episodes to adapt all of their content, so the anime tends to have a feeling of being rushed and hard to follow at the best of times. There’s also the animation problems, which really become apparent in the third season of Index especially and left many viewers with a bad taste in their mouths, so that’s something to keep in mind as well.

Now, let’s say you are interested in Toaru, but you don’t have the time or motivation to read through 49 light novels. Another option is to read the manga, which as an adaptation is rarely brought up within the fandom, but I feel deserves a lot more attention and respect. The Index manga notably skips volumes 2 and 4 of the light novel, so you may need to switch to a different medium for those arcs, but since then they’ve been adapting every story arc in order as it comes. Though the manga is also slow to produce, and it is still not even half-way through the content of Index season 3, so I think people tend to overlook it. But I can say with confidence that the Index manga is a vastly superior adaptation of the light novels than the anime is. If you’re looking for a way to get the most out of the series while saving many many hours of time, the manga may be the best way to get into it. It goes into a lot more detail than the anime does, due to not being constrained by episode limits, and very rarely even includes scenes or dialogue not present in the light novel.

As for how you can procure these, almost all Index content up to the end of Old Testament and all Railgun content has been localised and released for purchase in English. You can find the Index and Railgun anime on a variety of streaming platforms depending on your region, with their third seasons available on Funimation and Crunchyroll, dubbed and subbed. You can also purchase them on Blu-Ray or DVD. The Index light novel and manga, and the railgun manga are all available to purchase courtesy of Yen Press either physically or digitally, however some of the earlier volumes have been going out of print, so I can only wish you all the best in finding physical copies. Good luck, soldier!

So, let’s say you’re pretty adamant that you only want to watch the anime to start with. I do have one other recommendation that has proved successful when I watched the series through with a few friends. That being, use reddit as your viewing companion! Back in 2018, reddit user u/Razorhead hosted a rewatch of the first two seasons of Index and Railgun on r/anime in preparation for the upcoming Index III, Railgun T and Accelerator anime (what’s that third one? Don’t worry about it yet). These included discussion threads for every episode, and at the top of each thread you’d find a number of posts by u/Razorhead he called ‘small facts’, which go into detail about everything from the light novels that the anime failed to cover. These posts are very comprehensive and extremely helpful, and really enhanced my viewing experience when I watched through the anime again with some friends, who also gave me a lot of positive feedback for sharing these titbits with them. If you’re interested, a handy collection of all of u/Razorhead’s Small Facts posts can be found at the link here: https://www.reddit.com//r/toarumajutsunoindex/wiki/smallfacts

If you’re going through the anime without reading the source material, then these posts will be an invaluable guide to you. Maybe someday I might end up doing some video summaries of each of the arcs on my Youtube channel, and if I do I might link them in the description, but for now this is the next best thing.

So, let’s start getting into the flowchart proper! The first arc of Index is the Index arc, comprising Volume OT1 of the Light Novel, episodes 1-6 of the first season of Index, and chapters 1-10 of the manga. This serves as our basic introduction to Kamijou Touma, the titular Index, as well as the setting of Academy City and the magic/science dichotomy, forming the basis for the rest of the story to come. The first arc of Railgun is the Level Upper arc, comprising Chapters 1-17 of the manga and episodes 1-14 of the anime. This arc introduces us to Misaka Mikoto’s circle of friends and the Judgment organisation, as they investigate a conspiracy involving the city’s population of Espers and a program that seems to amplify their abilities. If you continue watching the first season of the Railgun anime, you’ll find two anime-original story arcs in Big Spider and Poltergeist, which continue the general trend of Mikoto’s friends investigating conspiracies in Academy City, amidst the daily slice of life content. The Toaru Kagaku no Railgun PSP game also fits in here with the anime continuity, though keep in mind it’s very much a side story and its canonicity is disputed. The second arc in Index is the Deep Blood arc which was skipped in the manga, comprising Volume OT2 of the Light Novel and Episodes 7-9 of the anime. This arc feels a little bit like a side story at times, but it’s still a decent arc t hat does introduce and flesh out characters and concepts that will remain in the story for a long time, so I don’t recommend skipping it unless you plan on coming back to it at some point.

After Deep Blood we get to the Sisters arc, which will probably raise some question marks for anyone looking at the flowchart! What’s unique about this arc is that it’s actually received a total of 4 adaptations on top of the original light novel (OT3). There’s the index Manga (c. 11-22) and Anime (e. 10-14), and there’s also the Railgun Manga (c. 18-39) and Anime (Railgun S e. 2-16), which depict the series of events from a different perspective, since this arc is all about Misaka Mikoto. There is certainly merit to experiencing the light novel first as it will contain some worldbuilding details that none of the other adaptations do, but I’d like to make the case for the Railgun anime version as the primary way to experience this arc. Unlike the Index anime or the first season of Railgun, the Railgun S adaptation of the Sisters arc is extremely high quality. It has a tiny bit of filler that wasn’t in the manga, but for the most part it’s a very loyal and comprehensive adaptation. But what’s really relevant here is that the Railgun version of the Sisters arc includes a lot more content that wasn’t explored in the Index version, as the Railgun version depicts all the events in Mikoto’s life that lead up to the confrontation with Touma that we see in Index, and I can’t stress this enough – this is really, really good content, with no compromises made on quality for the anime. When first getting people into the Toaru series through the anime, I always watch through the first 9 episodes of Index before jumping to Episode 1 of Railgun S. Despite switching between the two different series, almost everything that happens in the Index version of this arc is also depicted in Railgun, so it flows really well as a perspective  shift. The first episode of Railgun S is technically anime original, but it does a good job introducing the viewer to Mikoto’s daily life before diving into the Sisters arc, so no prior knowledge of the first season of Railgun is required. Of course you can go back and watch the first season of Railgun first if you want, or you can go back to it at any time and won’t really lose out on anything. There’s lots of options available, but I really think episodes 1-16 of Railgun S is the best way to experience the Sisters arc, and an excellent way to hook new viewers into the appeal of the Toaru series. The Silent Party arc which follows in the Railgun anime is once again anime-original though (and arguably non-canon), so you can watch it or skip it as you like. But don’t rush to Railgun T yet, or you’ll get very lost! More on that later.

After the Sisters arc, you have the Angel Fall arc, the second arc that the manga skipped (OT4, e. 15-17). I don’t recommend skipping this arc as it has a lot of great worldbuilding and exploration of how magic works, but the light novel is definitely the best way to experience it in my opinion; the anime really pales in comparison here. Following that is the Three Stories Arc, which as the name implies, contains three separate mini-arcs in one book (OT5, c. 22-33, e. 18-20). One of those, the story of Ouma, is pretty much unrelated to anything in Toaru and is easily skippable. In fact, it was actually moved to the first episode of Index Season 2 so they had an extra episode to use elsewhere for the first season. The other two are pretty important though. The story of Unabara Mitsuki explores the impact Touma’s actions are having on the geopolitical stability of the world, while the Last Order story serves to introduce our second protagonist of Index, Accelerator, number 1 ranked Esper of Academy City!

Speaking of, that’s also the name of another Toaru spinoff series, ‘A Certain Scientific Accelerator’. Despite being a secondary protagonist in Index, the powers that be saw fit to give Accelerator a spinoff series of his own. This series was originally a manga and was more recently adapted into a 13 episode anime covering the first arc. The Accelerator series takes place directly after the Last Order portion of the Three Stories arc, with the Necromancer arc (c. 1-36). It’s worth noting though, the Accelerator series is very much a side story with very little impact on the rest of the series. The only lasting legacy it has is the introduction of a few characters that show up later in Railgun. But it’s by no means required reading to continue Railgun, so please treat it as the side story it i s. Also um, the Nectar arc that follows is kinda really bad, so bad that they seemed to put a complete halt on the series, heh. The Necromancer arc is okay, but it’s more about Esther and the Hishigatas than Accelerator; Accelerator is just there to look cool really. If you want actual character development for Accelerator, best to stick with the Index series; that’s where it all happens. The Accelerator series ends with a final chapter connecting it to the events of the Tree Diagram Remnant arc which come a bit later in Index.

There’s also another short spinoff manga that came out recently, Toaru Kagaku no Dark Matter, which as of right now has yet to see an official English release. It takes place at this point in the timeline but follows the Number 2 Esper of Academy City, Kakine Teitoku, giving a small piece of his backstory before he is introduced later in Index. Feel free to read it at any time you want from this point.

And there’s ALSO also a non-canon 4koma manga that branches off from the timeline at this point called Toaru Idol no Accelerator-sama, that involves a project to turn all of the Level 5 Espers into Idols. It’s not exactly canon, but it’s not exactly NOT canon either. Check it out if you want a fun read!

Now, there’s also another story that takes place around this time: a Railgun side story novel, ‘Liberal Arts City’ where Mikoto and friends go on an excursion to an artificial island on the coast of California. Now, I call it a Side Story because SS is literally in the title, but don’t be mistaken; this story is surprisingly important to the Railgun continuity! If you haven’t read Liberal Arts City, you will be very confused by the inclusion of a certain character later in Railgun. So if you want to avoid confusion while following the Railgun plot, I recommend checking out at least the Sisters Arc, the Liberal Arts City arc and the Tree Diagram Remnant arc. Regrettably though, Liberal Arts City was never adapted into Anime or Manga, and it hasn’t even been officially released in English. Up to you if you want to read it or not, but I highly recommend it. It’s also a really great read in general, and I’m hoping they animate it some day.

Index continues with the Kazakiri Hyouka arc, which is a pretty pivotal arc for the worldbuilding of the Index series, and marks the end of the first season of the Index anime (OT6, e. 21-24, c. 34-44). Continuing on we have the Orsola Aquinas Rescue arc and the start of Index season 2 (OT7, e.1-5, c. 45-57). This arc sees Touma and company directly involved in the political conflict between different Christian sects, further developing the political backdrop of the magic side of the world. Around this point in the timeline there’s also a couple of side stories, including the Toaru Majutsu to Kagaku no Ensemble PSP game and two Index side story novels: Road to Endymion and Necessarius Special Admission Test. Feel free to read these whenever you want, as they are completely optional. Most of these Index side stories are all about fleshing out different characters and concepts on the magic side of the world, for people who love that kind of thing, which I definitely do!

After that in Index we have the Tree Diagram Remnant Arc (OT8, e. 6-7, c. 58-65), which is significant on this chart because it’s a book focused on Mikoto’s friend Kuroko, and further builds on the events of the Sisters arc. If you plan on continuing Railgun, this arc is essential viewing, otherwise you may be very confused why Kuroko is in a wheelchair when Railgun continues. Before we move on, there’s also a couple more side stories set at this point in the timeline. The Miracle of Endymion movie is totally optional and doesn’t really have any lingering impact on the rest of the story, but it’s a fun watch nonetheless, as most anime movies are. Toaru Majutsu no Index SS: Kanzaki meanwhile provides more insight into the magic world by following Kanzaki on a number of her missions from necessarius. This book is noteworthy as it provides the origin story of a character who will return later in the Ichihanaran Festival Arc in Index New Testament.

Next is where things get a bit contentious, as we have the two Daihasei Festival arcs; one for Index (OT9-10, e. 8-13, c. 66-85) and one for Railgun (c. 43-70, e. 1-15 of Railgun T). Unlike the Sisters arc, these two arcs are largely independent from one another, even if they do influence each other. In terms of timeline, you could certainly continue to watch or read the Railgun Daihasei Festival arc right now, but personally, I don’t recommend it. This arc was written after the conclusion of Index Old Testament, and it’s written in such a way that it expects the viewer to have knowledge of those events in the story . My personal recommendation is to read or watch the Index side and come back to the Railgun side later, but it’s your call. I will say though, the Railgun T anime is SUPURB and some of the best animated Toaru content ever, so it’s well worth the wait.

Index continues with the La Regina del Mare Adriatico arc (OT11, e. 14-16, c. 86-97). This one is, kinda universally panned by the community, and maybe not worth the time to deeply invest in? Basically, Touma pisses off the Roman Catholics by getting involved in their affairs again and trying to save people. Maybe just watch the anime or read the manga for this one, but it’s up to you. It is notably the first of many arcs where Touma travels to a different country.

The novel Toaru Majutsu no Index SP also takes place around this time, and introduces some characters who will become relevant later in Index. It’s very much an optional side story though, don’t feel like it’s essential reading, but it’s a pretty fun time.

Following that is the Academy City Invasion Arc (OT12-13, e. 17-23, c. 97-116), which is largely agreed to be the point where Index starts getting REALLY good, and introduces the broader ‘Gods Right Seat’ saga that the novels follow until the completion of Old Testament. The anime adaptation is also one of the better arcs of the Index anime, but as always, Light Novel and Manga are gonna have more content, so it’s up to you. 

There’s also a short side story that takes place around this point in the timeline as well: Toaru Majutsu no Index New Testament SS. Following after the events of the Invasion arc is the Skill-Out Uprising arc, which amusingly wasn’t even included as a mainline novel but instead in the ‘Index SS’ novel (e. 23-24, c. 116-122). Despite the name, this is NOT a side story. Not even the manga skipped this one! It introduces us to GROUP, as well as our soon to be third protagonist of Index, Level 0 best boy Hamazura Shiage, the delinquent with a heart of gold. Though he won’t be a protagonist until two books later. This also marks the end of Season 2 of Index, and for many people was where the story ended for 8 years. Yeah, there was a real long gap between Seasons 2 and 3 of Index. As a result, you’ll find this is where many people started picking up the light novels, and have a lot more to say about the story. It’s certainly not a bad place to start reading from either.

Following that with the start of Index Season 3 is the Document of Constantine arc, where Touma travels to France to fight another member of God’s Right Seat (OT14, e.1-3, c. 123-132). After that is the Battle Royale Arc (OT15, e. 4-6, c. 133-149). Now, this arc is very widely critically acclaimed in terms of the light novel and manga, but the anime adaptation was extremely rushed and difficult to follow for most viewers. If you’re braving the anime for this arc, do not go in without Razorhead’s Small Facts, I urge you! It also skips many of the amazing scenes with Hamazura, and that’s a damn shame considering this is where he rises to protagonist status! I can safely say however that the manga adaptation is a fantastic way to experience this arc, and I strongly recommend it over the anime adaptation.

Things also get a bit busy around this point in the timeline. This is where the Dream Ranker arc, the second half of Railgun T broadly takes place (c. 71-97, e. 16-25). Dream Ranker is largely a prequel to the Battle Royale arc, but it won’t make any sense if you haven’t read the Battle Royale arc first, so the Battle Royale arc is absolutely recommended reading beforehand. Believe me, there was a lot of confusion on Reddit when this arc aired for people who never watched Index III. But again, my personal recommendation is to finish Old Testament of Index first before continuing with Railgun if you want the best experience without any spoilers. Don’t worry, we’re nearly at the end of Old Testament now!

Additionally, there’s also another manga series that has been released in English that takes place at this point in the timeline, Astral Buddy. This is a real gem of a series that follows the life of Hokaze Junko, friend of Shokuhou Misaki, and is deeply entwined with Shokuhou’s past. You could read it at this point, but this story references a lot of events that aren’t explored until much later in the series timeline, so I recommend holding off until then if you can. Following this there’s also the new and ongoing ‘Toaru Kagaku no Mental Out’ manga series which seems to follow after the events of Astral Buddy and Dream Ranker.

Continuing on from the Dream Ranker arc in Railgun is the Jailbreaker arc (c. 98-130), which is the most recent Railgun arc to be published in manga, with a new arc currently in progress. It’s unknown how far Railgun will continue to go, but from here on out things get a bit more straight-forward in terms of the timeline. On the Index side we have the Acqua of the Back arc which is the most recent to be adapted in the manga (OT16, e. 7-9, c. 150-164). Definitely recommend the light novel or manga for this one, the anime was rough… There’s also Index SS2 which was released around this time and contains an anthology of short stories focused on various characters around the world of Toaru, many of whom are introduced for the first time here. It’s not essential reading, but many recommend it if you plan on continuing forward to New Testament.

Following that in Index we have the British Royal Family or British Halloween arc (I like that name a lot better okay? OT17-18, e. 10-14) This is one of the most exciting arcs in the novels, but in the anime it’s kinda… A bit disappointing. You know the drill, read the light novels if you can, or if you have to watch the anime at least use Razorhead’s notes. After that is the Dragon Arc which was actually adapted pretty well in the anime surprisingly? (OT19, e. 15-17) And lastly we have the World War 3 arc, concluding the Old Testament series and the third season of Index (OT20-22, e. 18-26). Around this time there were a number of side stories released that I’ve included here on the flowchart as well. This is also the point where I’d say you’re okay to go back to the Daihasei Festival arc of Railgun and get the most enjoyment out of it before continuing with the rest of Railgun.

After that, it’s pretty much all light novels! Welcome to New Testament, and eventually Genesis Testament. I don’t think the flowchart needs much more exploration, it’s all pretty self-explanatory from here on out. There’s a couple of side stories that fit outside of the regular flow of events, and so I threw them into this flowchart based on when they were released. Other than that, the only other thing worth noting is the Mental Out arc and the Biohacker novel. Mental Out includes lengthy flashbacks to Misaki Shokuhou’s past with Touma, which are also a direct sequel to the events in Biohacker. Feel free to read Biohacker whenever you want as long as it’s not too early in the series; for this flowchart I put a line to indicate the time it was released in case you wanna consume the story in release order. Once you’ve read Biohacker and New Testament 11, you’ll have a full grasp on the events that lead up to Astral Buddy, so you’ll be primed to read that too.

And that’s about it, that’s my comprehensive guide on how to get into the Toaru Series and why you should! Hopefully I explained well enough all the options you have when following this flowchart, enough to make an informed decision and curate a watch/read order that works for you! There are so many options, and only a few wrong answers, so why not be creative? Have fun with it, mix and match, and by the time you’re done you’ll be a Toaru expert yourself! The best part is, with so much optional content, there’s almost always more Toaru to enjoy if you want it. It’s a banquet, so take your time enjoying it all!

So, before I wrap up, I’d like to make one last pitch. Why should you invest time in the Toaru series? Yeah, it’s got occasionally uncomfortable ‘fanservice’ and sexualisation of minors, and some of the jokes don’t always land, but the things that keep me coming back to this franchise are the characters, the world, and the ideology. This series is full of so many amazing characters, the protagonists stand tall as some of my favourite characters from any work of fiction, and each go through their own trials that shape who they are, some like Accelerator changing dramatically over the course of their journey to where they are today. And the cast of side characters is some of the most insane shit I’ve ever seen…  Just take a look at this character chart I made. I’ve lost track of how many characters there are now, but there’s hundreds on this chart alone. And despite having so many characters, so many of them feel more than one-note. They have depth, everyone has their own motivations and journeys, everyone’s the protagonist of their own story, and sometimes characters return when you least expect them to. There’s really nothing else quite like it in all the fiction I’ve experienced.

As for the world, I mean, it should be pretty self-evident from my gushing that I love this world. Toaru has some of the most elaborate worldbuilding I’ve ever seen in any work of fiction. It’s such a joy watching Kamachi construct it piece by piece in each book, until you have this monolithic web of character dynamics where every action has tangible effects on someone else’s life trajectory, until you end up with stuff like the World War 3 and Ichihanaran Festival arcs, where everyone has their own personal motivations and journeys, all combining and clashing against each other. And you understand what drives everyone because you’ve spent time getting to know these characters over the course of the story. And one thing that’s really special is that the world of Toaru keeps evolving, with revolution after revolution that changes the course of Academy City and the geopolitical structure of the entire world. We’re still seeing the ripples of the Sisters arc impacting events around the world nearly 50 books later, it’s really amazing. And not only that, but the magic side is such a delight if you’re at all interested in history, anthropology, mythology, folklore and the esoteric. It’s down right incredible how much I’ve learned from Toaru about the more often-overlooked sides of human history, the stories of those who have lived a life steeped in spirituality. It’s the kind of representation of the esoteric that you don’t see anywhere else in Anime, or even rarely in fiction in general. If you want something that takes magic a little more seriously than Tolkien and Dungeons and Dragons and looks at the historical, mythological roots of magic in a modern day setting, Toaru is such an enormous treat. I’ve even spoken to spirit workers who have read or watched Toaru and feel more represented in the Toaru series than most other works of fiction, so I think that’s saying something pretty incredible. 

And that’s to say nothing of all the hard sci-fi concepts the story comes up with, but the most memorable and exciting moments for me are where science and magic clash. Magicians throwing fireballs and mercenaries hurling grenades fighting together at Pearl Harbor, Espers fighting Saints and demons, or high tech Academy City stealth bombers clashing with Archangel Gabriel high above the skies of Russia… These are just some of the spectacles you can only find in the Toaru series.

And lastly, the ideology. Toaru isn’t the deepest philosophical or political work of the 21st century, but it goes quite a lot further than most light novels I’ve seen in examining what drives us as humans. Behind every crime, there is a human, and that human has a heart, experiences that drove them to the point of committing atrocity. They have their own internal logic they abide by. And Toaru never forgets that. Touma as a protagonist is a character that will never forget the heart behind every tragedy, and won’t let the villains forget either. Again and again, he’ll raise his fist against injustice, to fight for a happy ending. But just as well, he’ll do so to give his enemies the chance for redemption. With his words and his right hand, he’ll break apart their self-constructed prisons of logic that led them into thinking committing atrocities was the only way to move forward, and once they’ve finished fighting, he’ll extend his hand out to them to show them another path. It may sound cliché, but the warmth radiating from the Toaru series in spite of all the tragedy and darkness has always touched my heart, and even helped me a bit in my own life whenever I feel like I’m losing my way. It’s a story which preaches that it’s okay to be selfish, that it’s noble even. But no matter what, you need to be honest with yourself. Because the moment you start lying to yourself with false justifications and stray from the path, from your True Will, one can only hope a good friend will be there to clench their fist and destroy those illusions. Because there’s always another way forward. These are just some of the messages Toaru has helped teach me in my time reading it. 

Also our fandom has the best man-loving-man ship of the 21st century, but we’ll get to that in another time~ For now, I hope this video has been helpful to you, and I look forward to producing more Toaru-focused content for you all in the future! This is Gammleid Sophilautia, and I lay my pen down for now.

They really should turn Liberal Arts City into an anime movie at some point.

What is inside Touma’s right hand?

SPOILER WARNING FOR ALL OF A CERTAIN MAGICAL INDEX & NEW TESTAMENT, A CERTAIN SCIENTIFIC RAILGUN AND POSSIBLY FUTURE CONTENT TOO.

SO, A Certain Magical Index New Testament Volume 22 Reverse has just ended, and it’s left in its wake a bevy of mysteries to ponder over while we wait for the third series to begin. I think there’s probably a few people who came out frustrated that Kamachi dangled the key to the basement in front of our eyes, only to keep it just out of arm’s width. I’m talking of course about the mystery of Kamijou Touma’s right hand, or rather what’s inside his arm. Many of us probably stopped thinking about it when we got the simple answer of “it’s a reference point of the universe”, but the last couple of books have been a solid reminder that there’s a LOT we still don’t understand about Imagine Breaker and the invisible something (that’s sometimes perfectly visible) that is released when the arm is severed.

Kamachi has been drip-feeding us information from the very beginning, but I feel like now, 45 books in, we finally have enough pieces of the puzzle to reach an answer. I believe this is telegraphed by NT22R as well, what with most of the cast openly speculating about the nature of his arm, Touma thinking back on all of events surrounding it, the sprinkling and repetition of key terms and concepts (rose, panacea, dragon symbolism, the blurring of science and magic, and the colours sky blue, lemon yellow, emerald and pink), and the final scene in the book where Touma states that he plans to ask Index about it all in the next series… As a mystery lover, all of this screams out to me as Kamachi outlining every piece of a puzzle and asking us to solve it before the next series begins.

So that’s what I did. I hope you enjoy my mad ravings as I go through how I reached my answer.

Let’s step all the way back to the very first book. The first thing I’d like to highlight is the name Kanzaki gives Touma when first meeting him: Kamijou no Touma, or “The One Who Purifies God and Slays Demons”. An alternate reading of Touma’s name. It’s a term that’s left almost completely ignored for the main series, right until the end…

---

“…You tried to explain that right hand, Imagine Breaker…and even The One Who Purifies God using only something at the level of Christianity. That was your mistake.”
– Aleister Crowley, OT22

---

That seems like a very odd thing to say when you think about it. “The One Who Purifies God” has been used as an alternative reading of Touma’s name, but… Here it’s almost like it’s referring to some abstract concept on the level of Imagine Breaker. It comes up again in NT18. Mikoto and Shokuhou are investing the A.A.A. and manage to pick up a strange signal from it, which they can only translate as “The One Who Purifies God And Slays Demons”… What exactly does that name have to do with Aleister and the A.A.A.?

And now, we’re at NT22 and NT22R. Anna Sprengel seems to love using the term ‘The One who Purifies God and Slays Demons’, and she clearly speaks of it as something different to Kamijou Touma. Well, I think this volume finally revealed the face of this Touma of a different kanji. Kamijou no Touma, the pink and emerald dragon. Something different from Imagine Breaker, and different from Kamijou Touma, the sky blue and lemon yellow. Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard of a dragon in Touma’s arm either.

Let’s step back once more, to OT2, where Touma had his arm severed by Auroleus and Touma subsequently had a Dragon appear from his arm to gore the alchemist. This was cleverly handwaved initially as an effect of Ars Magna, since we saw how his power was going berserk and bringing the characters back to life, but I think it’s clear now that that dragon wasn’t born from Auroleus’s power, but something inside Touma instead.

---

The thing that flew out of his severed right arm—the jaw of the dragon king.

It was nothing more than a product born of Aureolus Izzard’s anxiety toward Kamijou.

That was the logical analysis. But at the same time, was Aureolus Izzard actually thinking something that specific—that a transparent dragon jaw would spring out of his right arm?

Though the probability was low…

What if, just what if, that monster was unrelated to Aureolus’s power?

(…That’s impossible.)

However, Kamijou thought back to Himegami Aisa. Deep Blood, Himegami Aisa, was a girl with a special power that only worked against vampires.

If such a disturbance was caused by a girl who could do nothing except kill vampires, then if Kamijou Touma’s right hand, Imagine Breaker, could even kill the systems of God, then how much must it be worth?

No…

Just what was Imagine Breaker in the first place?

– OT2

---

The second major hint came in with OT14, with Terra of the Left seeming to have an unusual amount of knowledge concerning Imagine Breaker. There’s so many hints here I don’t know where to start… Terra comments that it’s lost it’s ‘original ability’, and of course there’s this…

---

“Heh-heh. You should give some thought as to why the Imagine Breaker is
within your right hand. Therein lies an important answer. Still, its effect
of nullifying any sorcery without question has meaning as well…”

“The Imagine Breaker is actually—””

– Terra of the Left, OT14

---

Then, of course, there’s the climax of the original series, with Touma’s arm being severed by Fiamma and even assimilated into his own Holy Right, completing his ceremony to become La Persona Superiore a Dio (aka Kamijou), and transform the Star of Bethlehem into the Kingdom of Heaven. Here we see that even without Imagine Breaker, something invisible comes out that looks as if it’s about to destroy Fiamma before Touma forces it back inside him, regenerating his arm and returning Imagine Breaker to it. This happened once again in NT4, where Othinus crushed the invisible something in her hand. There was another time it donned the appearance of a dragon, though…

Railgun Chapter 67, where Touma lost his right arm once more, and not one, but many Dragons burst out of his arm and chewed up Misaka’s rampaging power, before turning all the metal in the area into… some white substance? Since then, the image of the dragon in Touma’s arm has become solidified in the minds of the community. And then, we finally come to NT22 and NT22R.

---

With a bubbling sound, something erupted from the end of the incomplete right arm.

“Oh.”

It was not blood.

It was not flesh or bone.

Something more—much more—sinister and divine seemed to take control as Kamijou Touma shouted and held his own arm with his other hand.

Was it a dragon?

No, it was not even that.

Dark red bubbles continued to appear from the wound. And instead of ordinary spheres, these were collections of triangular surfaces. They were a lot like polygons from a video game, so they felt like a symbol of the artificial. They were all different sizes and the bigger ones were taller than the boy himself. More triangle-surfaced bubbles welled up from the existing bubbles as if to create a single giant serpentine line. Even as Mikoto watched from close by, she failed to see this as an arm. Even though it had burst out of an incomplete arm.

It was a deep, deep red, but also faintly transparent.

What was that silhouette spinning and crawling within???

– NT22

---

This is a different description than anything we’ve heard so far. Something deep red, but with an appearance that brings to mind the artificial, science… And it seems like, something is being born inside it. Why does this something have such an indeterminate form? It’s not a dragon this time, but it is serpentine.

In NT22R, it finally escapes, and it takes a familiar form… The form of Touma himself. Touma is split into two dragons. Othinus mentions how this something in his arm wasn’t always there, and then brings up her weird panacea theory. And then, when this Kamijou no Touma explains its true nature to Touma, everything begins to fall into place. All of the pieces of the puzzle are laid out neatly. Well, have you figured it out yet?

---

“I’m nothing more than an ability—something that distorts quantum physics. I was supposed to have nothing of my own. My sense of self, my personality to overcome any adversity, and my memories that you lack? It all only exists because you wished it to.”

Then…what even was this?

This conflicted with everything Magic God Othinus and the human Aleister had explained to him.

Had they misread something about the Imagine Breaker in his right hand?

No.

If not…

“You…”

Fiamma of the Right had thought of everything in terms of Christianity, so he had been ineffective against Aleister who viewed all of magic and all of science.

When Kamijou had failed to accept the selfish wishes of the combat-obsessed Magic Gods like High Priest and Nephthys, a portion of its power had leaked out and gained an entirely different nature as Kamisato Kakeru’s World Rejecter.

Then what about with Aleister’s logic?

A dragon.

The ruler of the depths and a guardian of treasure.

What had been the ideal for that human who disliked simple moralization and did not let that limit his options?

What had Nephthys and Niang-Naing wanted from Kamijou Touma?

They had said his right hand was something extra and that the One who Purifies God and Slays Demons referred to the boy himself and not his right hand.

He thought of all those ideas that appeared to be false based on what was happening here. The Academy City Board Chairman had sacrificed so much to bring his grand plan to fruition. He had used everything in order to raise something, but…

“It wasn’t Imagine Breaker?”

“You really thought this could be explained with something so cheap, you scum?”

---

Time to finally answer the question. What is the true nature of Kamijou no Touma, The One who Purifies God and Slays Demons? It has another name. No, it’s not something that never existed in any myth. Let’s think together. Why does Anna Sprengel have such an interest in it? What is the meaning of those colours, of the image of the dragon? I have a proposal of what the dragon imagery might be referring to.

The alchemical dragon has been a symbol used by mystics for ages. The most iconic of these illustrations from the Theatrum chemicum Britannicum is the two headed dragon facing the sun and moon. It comes from page 212 at the end of the chapter called Liber Patris Sapientiae.

This Robert Vaughan illustration is one of many that were commissioned for the book. In it, we have a two headed dragon with its necks entangled but heading out in opposite directions. One head faces the sun while the other faces the moon. The dragon represents the process of alchemy. Symbolically, the dragon is action – making “it” happen. His drawing is masterfully executed earning it a place amongst the greatest alchemical illustrations.

This alchemical process is an action that is influenced by the opposing forces in nature. The Sun and the moon represent the opposing forces of heating and cooling. During the alchemical process, a substance is heated and cooled many times producing evaporation and condensation.

The sphere at the bottom is the elixir it stirs. It represents the cycle of transmutation in progress. The dragon sits atop it like a mother hen on an egg. This can also be seen as the world and the alchemical process transpiring within it.

Source

The alchemical dragon represents the philosophical quick silver; unlike ordinary Mercury, the philosophical quick silver is a mysterious substance of unknown origin. From this quick silver, the living spirit can be extracted. While the dragon does not represent this living spirit, it is the vessel in which the spirit is contained. Some alchemical texts mention a process to identify the spirit, or the soul, of all things. The dragon is prepared from the philosopher’s venom. The Mercurius fires up the primordial dragon, giving it wings. In a physical sense, this is the process of vaporization. The universal spirit is the blood of that dragon. The dragon, as a fabulous winged being, symbolizes philosophical renewal, or the initial pulverizations. In other instances, the image of a dragon or wyvern represents the divine mercurial water and its tincturing power.

Source

Keen-eyed people might recognise quick silver as the key to producing a certain something. A certain something…

Enter the Rosy Cross, the single most important iconography of the Rosicrucian Order. Don’t the colors stick out as oddly familiar? Blue, Emerald, Pink, Yellow… And what’s that in the center? What is one of the meanings of the rose? Herein lies the answer to the mystery, the true identity of Kamijou no Touma.

Alchemy and Alchemists by CJS Tompson. Photo by Celeskastel.

The Philosopher’s Stone. The rose of the Rosy Cross. The pinnacle of alchemy – the science of the old world which we would now call magic – constructed from the four elements associated with pink, emerald, blue and yellow. An object of indeterminate form with the supposed ability to transmute metal into gold or silver, associated with images of dragons, and sometimes even called panacea. Some have even called it a wish-granting tool.

The secret something hidden in Kamijou Touma’s arm, the One who Purifies God and Slays Demons, is none other than the Philosopher’s Stone itself. A device that blurs the line between science and magic, which transforms itself in accordance to Kamijou’s deepest desires. Aleister’s best-kept secret, something that’s only contained inside his arm by Imagine Breaker. How did it get there? Is Aleister trying to keep it sealed away to protect people, or to keep it to himself? Either way, it seems to have caught the interest of a certain Anna Sprengel.

Think what you will, but I’m all but convinced I’ve figured it out. The next series is bound to focus on Rosicrucianism and alchemy more than ever before, and I believe the Philosopher’s Stone in Kamijou’s right arm will play a very important role in the events to come. Well, Kamachi? Did I figure it out?

“As above, so below, as within, so without, as the universe, so the soul…”

– Hermes Trismegistus

Also shoutouts to Celeskastel for figuring this out together with me!

Index III confirmed?! Let’s speculate on the story structure!

So it looks like the confirmation of a third season of A Certain Magical Index was leaked yesterday! Of course I’m over the moon that we’re finally getting this, but I’ve been wondering, what exactly would a third season adapt? Well, I’m here to offer a breakdown of my thoughts to those interested! Keep in mind that this is written by someone who’s read all the light novels, intended for people who’ve at least read all of Old Teastament, so there may be light spoilers from the arc titles, so be warned! I’ll also be using pretty conservative estimates of the minimum amount of episodes required to adapt each arc, so don’t freak out if you feel like I’m not giving an arc enough episodes in my calculations! Fortunately, as you’ll find, there’s a bit of space to work with, so the episode counts could be stretched out to accomodate more content if they choose to. Well with all that said, let’s begin.

How many episodes will it be?

Hard to say. All previous Raildex series’ have been 24 episodes, so it’s not unlikely that Index III will follow that trend. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that the climate of the anime industry has changed quite a bit since then, and 13 episode series’ are becoming much more standard, so everyone should be prepared for that possibility. With that said, let’s look at what content we have to work with in 13 episodes!

Document of Constantine Arc
Battle Royale Arc
Acqua of the Back Arc

I think you’ll find that these three arcs fit pretty neatly into 13 episodes, if we really do end up with 1cour. All three of these arcs take up one volume of the light novel each, but in terms of content density, they vary a little bit. Document of Constantine is absolutely a 3-episode arc, and Acqua of the Back could fit into 3 episodes snugly, or easily take up 4 episodes. Battle Royale Arc, while being only a single volume, is one of the most content-dense volumes in all of Index, with so many plot threads occurring simultaneously. You’ll need at least 5 episodes to do it justice, maybe more. So at the bare minimum, that’s 3+5+3=11 episodes, giving the studio 2 more episodes to dedicate to Battle Royal, Acqua or maybe even an anime-original pilot episode. Or alternatively, if we’re working with 24 episodes, these episodes could be put to use in the remaining half.

SS2
British Royal Family Arc
DRAGON Arc

To address the elephant in the room, I don’t believe there’s any way they’ll be able to fit WW3 into any of these 24-26 episodes. It takes up 3 volumes of the light novel and I believe is the most content-dense arc in all of Raildex, so there’s no way to fit it in without at least 9 episodes / 180 minutes, so don’t expect that just yet. The British Royal Family Arc comprises two volumes of the light novel, and quite a lot happens in them. Dragon Arc is a very humble arc that entirely serves as a prologue to WW3, which would be the perfect place to end the season imo. By my count, DRAGON could be contained in 2 episodes, while the British Royal Family arc would take at least 7 episodes, maybe more to cover it all. Split-cour or not, that gives us a maximum of 4 episodes left to work with, which could either be used to further explore the different arcs, or a couple of them could be thrown in right before British Royal Family to adapt the content of SS2. SS2 is very optional content, but it’s another alternative if they need to pad out the episode count a little.

My speculation is that after the end of these 2 cours, we’ll get WW3 as either a separate 13 episode cour, or maybe even a theatrical release. I can see WW3 selling very well in theatres myself, but I’d personally prefer the extra hour we’d get out of a separate cour, so I’ll be hoping for that.

So, to summarise, here’s my personal prediction about the contents of Index III, just so I can brag if I get it right.

Episodes 1-3: Document of Constantine Arc
Episodes 4-8: Battle Royale Arc
Episodes 9-12: Acqua of the Back Arc
Episodes 13-14: SS2
Episodes 15-22: British Royal Family Arc
Epsiodes 23-24: DRAGON Arc
13-episode Season 4: WW3 Arc

Well, I could keep going. I think the following cour would contain up to and including Baggage City, and the one after that would adapt Ichanaransai and Agitate Halation. But even then, sorry guys, we’ll probably waiting until Season 6 for Othinus, if we ever get that far, which would take up a full cour on it’s own. Following that we have up to the High Priest arc, then up to the Kamisato Rescue arc. By my count, the current contents of the light novels would be at season 7 or 8 of the anime.

Wow, this series really does go on for a while doesn’t it…

Well anyway, let me know if you think I overlooked something in my reasoning! I’d love to hear if any of you have differing thoughts on how this could go down. I’m just really excited that one of my favourite stories is finally getting a continued adaptation. I can safely say that Season 3 will be the best season of Index thus far; you can really see how Kamachi improves as a writer from about Volume 12 onward. We’re finally getting to see the good bits of Index animated. It would be awesome if even more people got into this series as a result!

UPDATE: The community is abuzz as Dengeki Bunko has published a page that seems to be referencing a quote from the WW3 arc. To be honest, it’s left me with an ugly feeling. If it was a movie of a third cour I don’t feel like they’d be talking about it at all this early, so the chances of WW3 being included in our 2-cour Season 3 are regrettably high… SO, time to revise my predictions, and look at how this could work within 24 episodes.

Episodes 1-2: Document of Constantine Arc
Episodes 3-6: Battle Royale Arc
Episodes 7-8: Acqua of the Back Arc
Episodes 9-14: British Royal Family Arc
Epsiodes 15-16: DRAGON Arc
Episodes 17-24: WW3 Arc

It’s definitely not iedeal, but I feel very confident that this is what they’ll go with. If they decide to break the trend and go with 26 episodes, even that would help give them a lot more space to work out the British Royal Family and WW3 arcs. It’ll definitely be squishy, but I can’t help but feel I was a little too optimistic in my original blog here. I still think they can do a decent job adapting the arcs in this amount of episodes. Light novel fans are gonna be mad either way, but I still have faith JC can make it work.

Well, time will resolve all our lingering questions~ October can’t come sooner.

You – Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai Original Sound Version & Extra Sounds “Thanks/you” Lyrics & English Translation

You
Compositon: Dai
Lyrics and Performance: Satsuki Yukino

English:

Where are you right now? What are you doing?
Are you on the other end of this sky?

I just realised for the first time,
I’ve lost the things that filled my heart until now.
How much you supported me,
how much you made me smile.

The burden of losing them
was too much for me to bear.
Even though I struggled so desperately
to reach out my hand and take them back,

I thought I could reach them,
but instead they slipped through my fingers like the wind.

Constricted by loneliness and despair,
it felt like my heart would break.
But your smiling face, lingering in my memories,
always encourages to me keep living on.

Let’s return to those days once more.
I know it will be alright this time.
Let’s always laugh closely together
with me right by your side…

Where are you right now? What are you doing?
Are you on the other end of this sky?
Are you smiling at me like you always have?
For now, that is all I’ll ever wish for…

Romaji:

anata wa ima doko de nani wo shite imasu ka
kono sora no tsuzuku basho ni imasu ka

ima made watashi no kokoro umete ita mono
ushinatte hajimete kizuita
konna ni mo watashi wo sasaete kurete ita koto
konna ni mo egao kureteita koto

ushinatte shimmatta daishou wa
totsusumonaku ooki sugite
torimodosou to hisshi ni
te wo nobashite mogaku keredo

maru de kaze no you ni surinukete
todokisou de todokanai

kodoku to zetsubou ni mune wo shimetsukerare
kokoro ga kowaresou ni naru keredo
omoide ni nokoro anata no egao ga
watashi wo itsumo hajemashite kureru

mou ichido ano koro ni modorou
kondo wa kitto daijoubu
itsuma soba de waratteiyou
anata no sugu soba de

anata wa ima doko de nani wo shite imasu ka?
kono sora no tsuzuku basho ni imasu ka?
itsumo no you ni egao de ite kuremasu ka?
ima wa tada sore wo negai tsuzukeru

Kanji:

あなたは今どこで何をしていますか？
この空の続く場所にいますか？

今まで私の心を埋めていたモノ
失って初めて気付いた
こんなにも私を支えてくれていたこと
こんなにも笑顔をくれていたこと

失ってしまった代償は
とてつもなく大きすぎて
取り戻そうと必死に
手を伸ばしてもがくけれど

まるで風のようにすり抜けて
届きそうで届かない

孤独と絶望に胸を締め付けられ
心が壊れそうになるけれど
思い出に残るあなたの笑顔が
私をいつも励ましてくれる

もう一度あの頃に戻ろう
今度はきっと大丈夫
いつもそばで笑っていよう
あなたのすぐそばで…

あなたは今どこで何をしていますか？
この空の続く場所にいますか？
いつものように笑顔でいてくれますか？
今はただそれを願い続ける…

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Decided to try my hand at translating this song since I was a bit disappointed with all the pre-existing translations. What do you think? Maybe I’ll post more song translations on here in time.

Also, please don’t call this song ‘Dear You’! It’s simply ‘You’. ‘Dear You’ refers to a separate album with completely different arranges of this song with different lyrics and everything. This ‘You’ is the very first vocal arrangement of Dai’s track, and the only one I’m aware of that sings from Shion’s perspective at the end of Meakashi.

My favourite thing about this song is the whole dramatic irony of it, how Shion seems to be in denial about everything. The impression I get from “Let’s always laugh closely together with me right by your side…” really feels like she’s trying to comfort herself, repeating the words “soba de” twice before pausing with that elipsis. It’s a song that appears happy, but there’s also this overwhelming sense of sadness when you realise who’s singing it and why.

Feel free to share this without giving credit or editing it however you like~

Definitive and totally unbiased guide on how to enter the Toaru series (and why you should!)

Art by ラコソレガシ

NOTE: This article is now outdated! Please read the updated version here! 

I’ve been meaning to write a post on the Toaru series for a long time. Alongside the likes of Key and When They Cry, the Toaru series has proven to become one of my more recent hyperfixations. And since I don’t run a website dedicated to Toaru, I may as well post about it here!

Lots of people come to me asking how they should first get into Toaru. …okay, maybe it’s more like I try to tell them that they should get into Toaru. And the thing is, despite how much I love this series, it’s a reeeeally hard sell. The early arcs of the Index series are filled with a lot of bullshit that can really turn off potential audiences, and since the story spans so many different forms of media, it becomes really daunting to newcomers, simply due to the fact that they have no idea where to begin tackling such as massive franchise. The good news is that it’s not all bad. While there is some bullshit in the early arcs, there are some really big highlights to hook potential audiences, and it really does help to know that Kamachi grows significantly as a writer after the first 11 volumes, so the promise of a phenomenal latter half (latter three quarters?) should entice newcomers whose interest is captured early on. As for not knowing where to start with the franchise, maybe this guide can help!

For this guide, I’ll be listing all of the story arcs in a vaguely chronological order, detailing how important each arc is and my personal recommendations on how to experience it. While my guide may piss off some purists who insist you should just read all the light novels, considering how much of a time investment it involves for not so much gain, I feel like my guide will help people who want to get the most out of Toaru in the least amount of time. But before we get to that, I need to introduce some basic premises first.

Introduction to the setting

The Toaru series is set in a world that bares a strong resemblance to our own planet Earth, but with some key differences. In the world of Toaru, there is a conflict between science and magic. While magic is a relatively secretive and unknown practice, the Toaru world uses various myths and legends from Earth’s history as a basis for conjuring miracles of magic. In Kamachi’s world, Jesus Christ can be described as a wielder of powerful magic, and saints are some of the most powerful magic users in the world. Everything from Christianity and Judaism to Norse and Egyptian mythology serves as a basis for constructing magic, and what we end up seeing is that various religious groups employing the use of magic to secretly achieve their goals. Just envision secret assassins sent by the roman catholic church who wield powerful magic to purge any threats to their faith, and that’s pretty much Toaru what you’re getting into with Toaru.

Toaru is however set in a modern day world, where science is already proving itself as the predominant doctrine of the people. But what adds a bit of spice to the world of Toaru is the main setting. The heavy majority of Toaru takes place in a small independent city-state near Tokyo called Academy City. Here, it is said that their level of technology is “30 years ahead of the rest of the world”. So while everyone else outside is playing with their brand new iPhones, Academy City is a canvas of awesome science fiction, much of which you can really see actually existing in a decade or three. That is, with the exception of Academy City’s main attraction, the Esper Development Program. So if magic users wasn’t enough, you also have an entire city full of X-Men with powers ranging from being able to keep flowers from wilting without water to being able to create an entire army of autonomous soldiers out of exotic matter. And it just so happens that the magic organisations of the world don’t like Academy City due to a fundamental incompatibility between their doctrines, so the world is currently suspended in a sort of supernatural cold war. Sound cool? Well sorry but we have more pressing matters to attend to, like whether or not Touma is gonna get to the grocery store before closing! That may sound a big kick in the nuts, but I feel like that’s one of the major charms of the Toaru series. Even when the world is literally on the brink of destruction, the story reminds us that even heroes have a daily life to return to. Just, you’ll need to give the story a bit of time before we examine this global conflict in further detail.

The Multiple Series

Okay, now that you have a basic understanding of the setting, I can explain how the different series work. Toaru Majutsu no Index / A Certain Magical Index began as a light novel, and is the basis upon which all the other series’ are spin-offs of. Index follows the life of Academy City resident Kamijou Touma, “the kind of normal high school boy you can find anywhere”. Despite being a member of the Esper development program, he is completely powerless, ranking Level 0 in terms of Esper powers. That is, except for a mysterious power in his right hand that can’t be described as either magic or science, that has the unique ability of negating all supernatural phenomena it touches. Touma believes that his hand is actively negating god’s blessings, which he blames for the constant misfortune he experiences in his daily life, often taking the form of happening upon girls naked and getting punched or worse. Yeah, it’s very trashy light novel stuff, but that’s exactly Index’s element. And as the story progresses and you see Kamachi develop as a writer, you’ll get to watch him play with these trashy tropes in really interesting ways. Just, give him a bit of time. Being the main plot, Index is full of crazy ambition and develops the world unlike any of the other series. It portrays story arcs that are heavily magic-focused, others that are heavily science-focused, some that are a bit of both, and later on some that focus on the conflict between science and magic. Also, Index is long. Really long. More on that later.

On the other side of the coin (heh) is Toaru Kagaku no Railgun / A Certain Scientific Railgun, which follows the perspective of Touma’s acquaintance Misaka Mikoto, a Level 5 Esper and the third most powerful Esper in the city, according to their ranking system. Her power allows her to freely manipulate and generate up to a billion volts of electricity, and even manipulate electromagnetic fields, which has an enormous number of potential applications in battle. While Touma is kind of a loser in a school filled with powerless students, Mikoto lives in a prestigious girls school filled with powerful Espers. What makes Mikoto appealing to audiences is that despite being a member of the elite, she never lets it get to her head, and always remains cool and friendly to her peers, treating everyone as equals. Basically she’s just a really well-rounded and likeable female protagonist, with a surprising absence of any sexual fanservice to be found in her series. What distinguishes Railgun from Index is the fact that it is entirely set inside the confines of Academy City, and therefore has little to no interaction with the ‘magic world’. Railgun is almost exclusively science fiction, with a healthy dose of feel-good slice of life (particularly in the anime) thrown in-between exciting and dangerous Esper battles. Basically, it’s a recipe for success, and there are many who think Railgun is superior to Index for these reasons. What Railgun lacks is ambition, since they never want to out-do Index. What Railgun does offer is an alternative to Index. The later arcs of Railgun all overlap with story arcs of Index, and offer us different perspectives on the same series of events (or even different events occuring at the same time as Touma’s adventures), so it’s really cool if you’re into that kind of parallel worldbuilding. But admittedly, it’s a bit complicated chronologically, which is why I’m here to help with this awesome, cute and pop guide for you all. There’s also some extra stuff like Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator which I’ll mention briefly, but that is so far a much smaller series (and I haven’t read it) so I won’t be spending too much time on it. Now then, time to get to the guide. I won’t be including the Index manga here since it’s very incomplete and doesn’t really add anything as a viable alternative to the anime, but hey, feel free to browse that at your own leisure.

Stage 1: Index Arc

LN Vol. 1 / Index Season 1 Eps. 1-6

The question of where to start is already pretty divisive. Some people will tell you to watch/read Railgun first since it begins chronologically earlier than Index, but I feel like it’s very odd to start with a spin-off if you fully intend on experiencing the main series. Given that, I strongly recommend starting with the Index arc. This comprises episodes 1-6 of the Anime and Volume 1 of the light novels. Despite some things I may say about other arcs, the Index arc sets the beginning of the story off on a great note, and does an excellent job of introducing the concepts of magic and science to first-time readers. While the anime adaptation is decent, I have to recommend reading the light novel here, since it goes into considerably more detail in explaining important information than the anime does, which is more of a skim over the main concepts than a proper explanation. Exposition aside it’s also got some really solid drama and action, so it’s a great at providing those hooks to people curious about the series. If you don’t enjoy the Index arc, then maaaybe Toaru isn’t for you. If you did enjoy it at least somewhat, then please press on! Much greater things are to come. Also, I hope you like the character Index, because she’ll be sticking around. No, she doesn’t get any character development after this arc. This is may be the only time she’s a likeable character, so soak it up, her character only goes downhill from here.

Skipability: Level 0. Read this, don’t watch it!

Stage 2: Level Upper Arc

Railgun Season 1 Eps. 1-14 + OVA / Manga Vol. 1-3

Now we’re gonna get to that Railgun thing all the kids are talking about. Reading Railgun doesn’t inherently add anything to your experience of Index (barring one exception), but it has a lot of value in it’s own right, so it’s up to you if you want to give it a look alongside your experience of Index or consume it at another time. But the purposes of this guide, I definitely recommend giving it a look after the Index arc.

Of all the Railgun arcs, Level Upper is pretty great, and introduces some of the issues Academy City faces on a societal level, with it’s own refreshing slice-of-life stuff thrown in for good measure. People will tell you how it’s chronologically set before the Index arc, but this is a largely irrelevant detail since there’s virtually no overlap between the two stories. This is a completely independent story arc which serves to better introduce us to academy city and Mikoto’s life. However, this is also the point where the anime and manga diverge. While the manga will continue straight into the Sisters arc, the anime stuffs around with looots of anime-original content after this, which features a lot more SoL and a lot less interesting plot, so proceed according to your personal tastes. Moving forward I’ll be listing the arcs in a vaguely chronological order, and skipability will come into question. My suggestion? Jump into Deep Blood Arc of Index.

Skipability: Level 2. You can continue with Index if you like, but because of Sisters arc I strongly recommend giving this a look! It’s also a great intro to Academy City.

Stage 3: Big Spider Arc

Railgun Season 1 Eps. 15-16 (Anime Original)

See above.

Skipability: Level 4. Only watch if you’re already quite enjoying the Railgun anime!

Stage 4: Poltergeist Arc

Railgun Season 1 Eps. 17-24 (Anime Original)

See above.

Skipability: Level 4. Only watch if you’re already quite enjoying the Railgun anime!

Stage 5: Deep Blood Arc

LN Vol. 2 / Index Season 1 Eps. 7-9

This is where the Index sell becomes a bit more difficult. Deep Blood arc, while cool in some aspects, is plagued with some very problematic and boring writing that really becomes a grind to get through. Fortunately, the anime only spends 3 episodes on it, and later on the novels try to actively forget it ever existed (let’s say it poses some problems to the consistency of the story’s universe). While skipable, I wouldn’t recommend skipping any of the main Index novels altogether. Purists may tell you to read the light novel as god intended, but my recommendation is to just watch the anime, it’s not long.

Skipability: Level 3. Bad and unimportant arc, just watch the anime.

Stage 6: Sisters Arc

LN Vol. 3 / Index Season 1 Eps. 10-14 / Railgun S Eps. 1-16 / Railgun Manga Vol. 4-7 (Ch. 18-39)

Okay remember when I said early Index is shit? Well LET’S JUST NOT INCLUDE THE SISTERS ARC IN THAT because hoo boy is this a good arc. Some even argue that this is the best arc of all of Index, but I’d say some later Light Novel arcs eclipse it. (many Toaru fans haven’t read the light novels!) Nonetheless, this arc is really really good, but it introduces some problems for new viewers. See, this arc has been adapted in multiple formats. It all started in Index Vol. 3, which spans 5 episodes of the anime. And it was really awesome. But then fuckin Railgun moves in and is all “Hey guys, mind if I make your Index arc seem completely inferior with my god-tier adaptation?”. The Railgun version of this arc is Index but stronger. They spent more than half of Railgun S (the second anime season) on this damn arc; they know how strong it is. But the Railgun version just offers so much more detail and context for everything that’s happening that it makes the final confrontation where Touma appears on-scene so much sweeter. My honest recommendation is that you ignore Index for a bit here and just watch episodes 1-16 of Railgun S instead. Accept no alternative, this arc deserves the best adaptation it has. This is why I recommended at least experiencing the Level Upper Arc before moving ahead with Index, because you need that context to appreciate the Railgun adaptation of the Sisters arc. I mean if you’re a real purist you could just read the light novel, but then you’d be missing out on so much beautiful storytelling. Seriously guys, hear me out on this one. At most just skim over the Index anime in case you’re afraid you missed anything. In terms of narrative significance, this introduces us to our anti-hero and second protagonist, Accelerator, and marks the beginning of his story.

Skipability: Level 0. Watch the Railgun S adaptation. Accept no substitute!

Stage 7: Silent Party Arc

Railgun S Eps. 16-24

Having watched the first 14 episodes of Railgun S you might be compelled to finish it. But be warned: it doesn’t even compare to the first half. I was really let down by what was left, it just felt so bland and shallow compared to the first half. But hey, completionists gonna complete.

Skipability: Level 5. Bad and insignificant. Go back to Index.

Stage 8: Angel Fall Arc

LN Vol. 4  / Index Season 1 Eps. 15-17

This one is kinda divisive. Some found it very amusing, others found it very boring. But nonetheless, it does introduce some concepts that will be pretty important later on, and it is referenced quite a bit, so you probably shouldn’t skip it. This is kind of the point where Index dips into mediocrity for a good few volumes before getting good again. It may feel like a grind, but hopefully there’s enough to come that will keep you at least a little interested for the amazing story arcs on the horizon. My recommendation for the next few is gonna be pretty consistent: don’t bother with the novels, watch the anime instead.

Skipability: Level 2. Watch the anime.

Stage 9: Three Stories Arc

LN Vol. 5 / Index Season 1 Eps. 18-20 + Season 2 Ep 1 (Yeah it’s weird)

While a little on the boring side, this arc does introduce some pretty important plot developments, so it’s definitely worth watching. Don’t worry about the chronology of the anime not matching the light novels, just keep on keeping on.

Skipability: Level 2. Watch the anime.

Stage 10: Kazakiri Hyouka Arc

LN Vol. 6 / Index Season 1 Eps. 21-24

This one is at least decent. Not Index or Sisters level good, but one of the higher points of the lull. Still, I recommend watching the anime over the light novel unless you really find it appeals to you. Like always, there’s a lot being introduced here which is pretty important to the lore of Toaru, so you can’t exactly skip it.

Skipability: Level 2. Watch the anime.

Stage 11: Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator (Necromancer Arc)

Accelerator Vol. 1 to Current

I must confess that I haven’t read Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator / A Certain Scientific Accelerator yet, but my sources tell me that it takes place some time after the Three Stories Arc. In-between seasons 1 and 2 of the Index Anime seems like a good place to pick it up, if ever. Dunno how good it is either! It might be really good. Considering it’s modern day Kamachi it’s probably really good.

Skipability: Level Unknown. It’s probably really good as an independent story!

Stage 12: Orsola Aquinas Rescue Arc

LN Vol. 7 / Index Season 2 Eps. 2-5

This is one of major magic-side arcs, and it does get us more intimately acquainted with the roman catholic church faction, but I dunno, it just ended up feeling kinda flat to me from a storytelling perspective. Definitely one of the weaker arcs for me.

Skipability: Level 2. Watch the anime.

Stage 13: Tree Diagram Remnant Arc

LN Vol. 8 / Index Season 2 Eps. 6-7

In terms of development, this feels like a sort of prototype Railgun arc before Railgun was a thing, with Railgun being published the following year (likely in response to positive reception). The story focuses on the relationship between Shirai Kuroko and Misaka Mikoto, and Touma only plays a supporting role. Of this lull in Index arcs, this feels really refreshing and entertaining, but had the unfortunate side-effect of making me dislike the magic arcs in comparison to the science arcs for a while. It’s actually really quite enjoyable for what it is though. Light novel or anime, I’ll leave this one up to you.

Skipability: Level 1. Might even be worth reading!

Stage 14: Daihasei Festival Arc

LN. Vol 9-10 / Index Season 2 Eps. 8-13

This marks a sort of turning point for Index, as it’s the first story arc to take place over multiple volumes of the light novel. The Daihasei Festival is a pretty big event that takes place across all of Academy City, and features Touma running around all over to save everyone. It’s very fast-paced and frantic with lots of fun stuff going on, but as far as it goes compared to other Index arcs, still a little on the weak side for me. It’s okaaay, tastes will certainly differ here. Some will like it more than Tree Diagram Remnant, for example. The good news is that we’re aaaalmost out of the lull. Only a little more to go!

Skipability: Level 2. Watch the anime.

Stage 14-B: Daihasei Festival Arc (Railgun Manga)

Railgun Manga Vol. 7-10

Assuming you skipped the Silent Party arc, you get to enjoy this next arc of the Railgun Manga after a huge timeskip. The funny thing is that this arc is significantly more interesting than the Index arc taking place at the same time, but unlike the Sisters arc, the Railgun version is a very independent story arc, and doesn’t really have much crossover with Index at all despite occurring at the same time. So no, this won’t serve as a replacement for the Index arc of the same name, but will compliment it nicely. I won’t go so far as to recommend this straight after watching the Daihasei Festival Arc in Index, but keep it in mind and come back to the Railgun manga sometime. This arc is really good, and cements Railgun’s position as an independent story with it’s own unique value distinct from Index.

Skipability: N/A. This arc is non-essential, and you can come back to it whenever you want from this point onward! Definitely recommended you read it at some point.

Stage 15: La Regina del Mare Adriatico Arc

LN Vol. 11 / Index Season 2 Eps. 14-16

Ehhhh. This arc is kinda cool, very action-focused, but I just found it boring for some reason. Personal bias aside, this arc properly introduces us to the conflict between the roman catholic church and academy city, with Kamijou Touma at the forefront of a minor conflict. This is, you could say, the spark that ignites Index’s true potential. Even if you don’t enjoy this arc itself, rest assured, it only gets better from here.

Skipability: Level 2. Watch the anime.

Stage 16: Academy City Invasion Arc

LN Vol. 12-13 / Index Season 2 Eps. 17-22

Congratulations, you did it! You stuck with Index and got over the lull. This is where shit gets good, as it officially marks the beginning of Index’s first overarching story arc: the Gods Right Seat story arc. The Academy City Invasion Arc itself is super intense and exciting, showing us the first true conflict between Science and Magic that we’ve been promised all this time, and really ramps up the scale of things. Shit’s hype, and only gets you interested for more of what’s to come! There is some bad news though, and that’s the the anime is kinda, about to end. From here out you’re gonna need to break open the light novels if you want to continue. But if you read the Index arc in light novel format, you’re at least a little prepared for the level of reading required. Given this, I actually recommend people read the novels of this story arc over the anime. Don’t get me wrong, the anime adaptation of this arc is solid, but now is the best time to get into the right attitude for reading the light novels. If you want, watch the anime after your reading to see how it was adapted, but you should definitely be getting into the light novels around this point.

Skipability: Level 0. Now’s the time to start reading the light novels!

Stage 17: Skill-Out Uprising Arc

Toaru Majutsu no Index SS Light Novel / Index Season 2 Eps. 23-24

Wow. They actually ended the Index anime on a fucking side story. After all the hype of the Academy City Invasion Arc, they end on this? What a boner killer. That said, this arc is kind of important even as a side-story, because it introduces us to our third main protagonist of the Index series: Hamazura Shiage. Wait, is it a spoiler to say that that loser will become a protagonist? Well yeah, he’s kinda important, so you should definitely read this despite it’s label as a side story. But it is kinda slow, so yeahh, way to kill the hype set up by the last arc.

Skipability: Level 2. You can read or watch this one.

Stage 18: Document of Constantine Arc

LN Vol. 14

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations. This is the first light novel exclusive arc, and it’s really damn cool. Arguably not as cool as Academy City Invasion Arc, but it does continue the Gods Right Seat story and I personally loved it. This one really does a great job of further highlighting the conflict between magic and science as tensions between the two sides grow ever higher.

Skipability: Level 0. You’re in for the long haul now!

Stage 19: Battle Royale Arc

LN Vol. 15

This is one of the story arcs often cited by people as one of the highlights of the entire series. This one is entirely science side-focused, kind of like a Railgun arc but with no Misaka in sight. This time it’s all about Hamazura, Accelerator, and a bunch of newly introduced groups of characters doing battle in Academy City. I think it’s really fucking cool, and while it doesn’t add that much to Touma’s story, it really cements the appeal of the Toaru universe. You can just keep adding side-stories and we’ll lap that shit up! *slurping noises*

Skipability: Level 0. Good shit fam.

Stage 19-B: Dream Ranker Arc

Railgun Manga Vol. 11 to Current

This is where we’re at with the Railgun Manga at present. Most of it seems to be taking place concurrent to the Battle Royale Arc, but showing a different perspective and different story. I’m enjoying it a lot so far, but feel free to pick this one up whenever you feel like it.

Skipability: N/A.

Stage 20 Onwards

From here on, you have the rest of the Index light novels ahead of you. I could talk about how amazing the Acqua of the Back and British Royale Family arcs are, but by this point you’ve either given up on Index or are in it for the long haul. If Academy City Invasion, Document of Constantine and Battle Royale Arcs did anything for you, then you’re gonna love the rest of what Index has to offer. And you know what the best (or worst) part of this is? In terms of light novel volumes, you’re not even halfway through what’s been released of Index yet! You have so many amazing story arcs ahead of you that you’re gonna love. You can read SS2 whenever you want from here on, and the rest of the extra arcs are available to you now as well. And when you’ve caught up to date with New Testament, come back to me, and we can gush about the series together. Because despite the rocky beginning, the Toaru series has SO MUCH to offer, to the point that it’s become a huge obsession for me. And really, if you stick to the anime for the early part, it’ll go by in no time! Let’s recap once more with my personally recommended route of progression through the Toaru franchise.

Read Vol. 1 of the Index LN
Watch Episodes 1-14 of the Railgun Season 1 (Or skip if you wanna focus on Index)
(Watch Episodes 15-24 of Railgun Season 1 ONLY IF you’re really into the characters and atmosphere)
Watch Episodes 7-9 of Index Season 1
Watch Episodes 1-16 of Railgun S (Or read Vol. 3 of the Index LN / Episodes 10-14 of the Anime if you’re a Railgun hater. I don’t endorse this!)
(DO NOT WATCH THE REST OF RAILGUN S UNLESS YOU HATE YOURSELF OR HAVE SHIT TASTE)
Watch Episodes 15-24 of Index Season 1
(Maybe read Accelerator manga here, or whenever)
Watch Episodes 1-16 of Index II
Continue to Episode 24 if you really want, otherwise you should get into the mood by reading Vol. 12, 13 and SS of the LN.
Vol. 14 of the LN onwards has yet to be animated, so continue reading on and enjoy the rest of the awesome series of Index!
Read the rest of the Railgun Manga sometime.

With about 3 days work, you’ll have experienced everything necessary to dive into the light novels! Some parts may be a bit of a grind, but there should be enough good content there to keep you going. At the very least, you should have a good idea of whether or not Toaru is for you or not after the first volume. If you like when you see, then press on, and you’ll be greatly rewarded. I hope this guide is helpful for some of you getting into Toaru for the first time! In conclusion…

WHEN’S INDEX SEASON 3?!?

Introducing Rokkenjima: A Fragment for 07th Expansion fans

Hey guys! It doesn’t need to be said that Kakera Complex has been a bit of an afterthought for me these days, with majority of my free time occupied by Kazamatsuri. But I figured I’d share some news here, since I figure it may be of interest to some of you. Branching out from Kazamatsuri, me and my colleagues have decided to form a network of communities dedicated to discussing niche media, which we’re calling the Kazoku Collective. Joining Kazamatsuri is our second community, which I’m sure will interest some of my readers here.

Welcome to Rokkenjima. It should be common knowledge by now that I’m a huge 07th Expansion fan, especially Umineko, as evidenced by all my blogs about it and this website’s own title. This is something I’ve wanted to make for a long time now, but never found the right time, until today. With Higurashi being officially released on Steam, Umineko soon to come, and a number of different Visual Novels and Manga being worked on by Ryukishi, I feel like now is the best time to start a community like this. Finally, 07th Expansion fans will have a place to call their own. If I’ve piqued your interest, please drop by, and maybe even consider joining our community. I hope to see many of you there! Let’s prove to everyone that the 07th Expansion fandom is here to stay.

https://forum.rokkenjima.org/t/welcome-to-rokkenjima/8

Thoughts on Undertale (True Pacifist Run Complete)

Wow, it’s been a while since I had an excuse to post something here! WordPress looks super different now, what is this? It actually looks kinda nice. Well anyway. Don’t read this if you haven’t seen the neutral and true pacifist endings! I might update this later with, that other ending too. Time to vomit some text onto a page! I’m not particularly caring for presentation right now, I just wanna type some thoughts out as they come to me, get it out of my system.

Undertale! It’s the game on everyone’s lips right now. I’m not really one to follow trends for the sake of it, but when I first saw it, I knew that this was the kind of game that appealed to me on so many levels. Lovable dialogue and characters, laugh out loud humour, thought-provoking story, charming pixel art, amazing soundtrack, tricky puzzles, action-packed gameplay (in a turn-based RPG even!), and numerous unique gameplay mechanics: the option to spare every enemy you see through dialogue puzzles, and the fact that the game remembers everything you’ve done on some level. And of course, there’s the way that it combines these narrative elements into the gameplay. It’s reminiscent of a few of the good Visual Novels I’ve played, and I can see the influences of games like Earthbound in the design, and I even get some Metal Gear Solid 2 vibes from the psychology behind it. Mhm, this is definitely an Aspirety game. I was hooked after the first hour!

So by now I’ve had the chance to play through the game as a pacifist, seeing the neutral ending and eventually the true ending, and I have to say, this game is freaking amazing. It delivered on just about everything I hoped for. But, that’s not to say that the game isn’t without its problems! No, the gameplay was pretty much perfect for me, as it managed to stay fresh with plenty of twists with each new encounter, and it presented a difficult yet fair challenge the entire time. I love the way that the game becomes much harder if you want to be a pacifist; it really makes you work for that happy ending. No, my biggest problems with this game are in the narrative.

Let’s start by looking at the prologue with Toriel. This is what really got me hooked on the game. Being confronted with a situation in which talking does no good, and at the time Mercy seems ineffective as well, and originally I accidentally ended up killing her. I had so much regret that I reset my game and started again, even if I knew this was cowardly, and found a way to save her. The way that the game develops this sense of agency in the player is amazing, but it also manipulates that by judging you for your every action. It starts from the moment Toriel scares you into acting independently by walking down the room on your own, until forcing her to confront her and decide what kind of future you’re going to lead once you step out. And then there’s Flowey, who knows what you did, even if you reset. But, there’s a problem here. The whole Determination concept is something which makes Undertale’s narrative so powerful and unique, but the issue is that if you go back and save Toriel, Flowey pretty much spoils the twist then and there. And, it IS a twist! Entering the game you don’t expect that going back and loading an old save to undo something you’ve done would have any permanent side effects, but more than that, very few people would imagine that the ability to save and load is incorporated into the narrative as an important plot point. That’s very clever, but it’s also perfectly suited to an amazing twist at the end of the game. “Oh my god, it was my determination that got me this far!” But if you save Toriel, the game robs you of that revelation because Flowey shoves it in your face. “So you have inherited the power to shape this world to your will, to save.” When I heard that I was just thinking, god dammit Flowey, you’re spoiling a plot twist! Maybe it’s my fault for going back like that, but I really wish that they saved this card until the very end. The game could’ve used that twist much more effectively than it did.

Another issue I have with the narrative is the bipolar tone of the game. Sure, I can get behind the duality of the genocide and pacifist paths, that’s clever. I can appreciate that sometimes the comic relief steps aside for some very serious twists and turns, I thought the normal ending was amazing, and really gave me this sense of overwhelming despair while fighting against Flowey, which I had to fight hard to overcome through my determination. But the one thing that really damaged my immersion was the sudden twist in the true pacifist ending. What do you get as a result of befriending everyone and making everyone happy? You get to see the true lab, where the game suddenly goes full horror out of nowhere and you have to confront these abominations of twisted science in a super creepy laboratory. I mean, this could’ve been okay, if it wasn’t for the fact that the situation is completely resolved by Alphys ‘telling the truth’ and sending all the amalgamations home to their families. I mean, what kind of a resolution was that? In the final goodbyes, you see all the amalgamations living happily with their families, and it’s just like, how? How did we go from existential horror to “and they all lived happily ever after” so easily? I can’t stomach it.

This also ties into my problems with the true ending. Yeah, I didn’t really like it that much! After you finish in the true lab, you get to the final confrontation with Asgore, which was originally my favourite part of the game, and then it’s just, HEY all your friends are here to stop this from happening, yaaaay friendship! But OH NO Flowey is back, but it’s okay because he’s fighting you because he loooves you! Not to say that ending didn’t have emotional impact, but it just felt really cheap compared to everything that came before. And the worst part is how it was ultimately resolved. The barrier is broken, and all the monsters return to the surface world, and they all lived happily ever after. Except, when you really think about it, that doesn’t make sense! We know that the humans and monsters were on bad enough terms to go to war and for the monsters to be banished underground, and that the last encounter the two races had was full of violence and spite. Why would they think that everything would be better once they escaped? I’m sure that leaving for the surface would invite many more problems! Without a massive political struggle, it’s hard to imagine that they could avoid persecution from the human races. They’d have to fight very hard to avoid a war, let alone secure their rights. I just find it a really difficult ending to stomach. It’s as if the writers knew the players wouldn’t be satisfied with the normal ending where everyone stays underground, and shoehorned this happy ending in without thought of the implications. While the rest of the game had some surprisingly adult themes, this ending felt like a children’s book, which I have difficulty accepting. I’m sure plenty of people will be satisfied with this ending, but it just felt way too ‘easy’ for me. This is another case of an “It’s not enough” ending damaging the overall narrative. That’s only a spoiler if you know what I’m talking about.

I’m writing this right now to draw attention to some of the glaring flaws in the game’s writing that I can’t ignore. As of now, my favourite ending has to be the normal ending, even if it wasn’t super conclusive. The true ending just left a bad taste in my mouth. All that said, this game is still a must-play. I’ve mentioned many of the merits of this game above, but the one thing that really stands out for me is the sense of agency this game instills in the player. This isn’t a FPS where you’re a pawn whose role is to shoot the enemy and progress through the game. This is a game where you are given tremendous freedom to decide how you’ll play the game, and what kind of result you’ll achieve through your actions. It’s very introspective, you have to put a lot of thought into your every action, because every action is judged. There are other games that do similar things, but this one still stands out amongst them. It’s a unique experience I’d recommend to anyone who appreciates unique and memorable experiences in gaming, or even as a story, despite its flaws.

Biggest highlight for me so far would have to be the final fight with Asgore in the normal ending. He’s such an amazing character. Through people’s conflicting descriptions of him, I was really curious how he could be thought of as a soft-hearted pushover and also a merciless warrior at the same time, and it turns out, he really was both. Kind and carefree to those under his rule, but still able to take innocent lives in cold blood for the sake of his people. Now THAT is a good villain. And so, I’d spent the entire game up to that point getting through without having to kill anyone, and when Asgore destroys your option to give mercy, it hit me hard. But still, I was determined to stop him without murder, I tried everything I could think of. The game dangled a tiny thread of hope before me once I died, as it acknowledged my deaths through the dialogue. The more deaths I accumulated, the reaction from Asgore would change, so I died 10 times to see if I could change anything. And then, that hope was stolen from me as the dialogue changed to “You tell him he’s killed you countless times before”, and I knew that then that I had no other option. Well, I at least considered the possibility that this was a trick to stop me from trying any more, and died one more time, but alas, nothing changed. It was at that point that I knew that the game knew exactly what I was trying to do, and manipulated me with this bait of hope, before forcing me to do something I desperately wanted to avoid. In the end it turned out okay, but the process that lead to that point, where the game and I were sharing this dance of predicting each other, that was an amazing experience I’ll never forget. The fact that the game can generate these unique emotional experiences for me is worthy of endless praise. This is what the video game medium is truly capable of; genuine player investment.

So, how will I feel once I’ve experienced the Genocide run, where I have to put aside my own wants and values for the sake of unseen content? Where I have to drive the stake through my allies and become a villain? I’m kind of terrified, and that makes me excited.

How can we transform Umineko into a Game? Establishing a basis for constructing Gameboards.

Hey guys, sorry it’s been a while since my last real post here. Various things, like Kazamatsuri.org for example, have been taking up my time lately, and to be honest, posting blogs here has become much less of a priority right now. It’s reached the point where my Rewrite reflections are on indefinite hiatus. If I don’t end up finishing them, it might be worth revisiting Rewrite from the beginning for Kazamatsuri.org in the future, but I haven’t decided anything yet. I apologise to everyone who’s been waiting on those – I’m just not feeling it right now.

Anyway, lately I’ve been thinking about Umineko, and how its formula could be transformed into a game. It’s easy for anybody reading Umineko to imagine taking up the role of Beatrice and creating their own Gameboard to challenge someone with. I personally know a few fans of Umineko who have attempted to establish their own game, but there doesn’t seem to be much of a consensus of how to turn Umineko into a game. I’m writing here today in the hope of giving people who are interested in creating their own Umineko games a starting point; a basis to build upon. It should go without saying, but this post contains spoilers for all eight episodes of Umineko.

But if you want a relatively spoiler-free summary, click here.

After giving it some thought, I’ve identified three distinct types of games that could be constructed from the Umineko formula. Here, I’ve provided some basic rulesets that creators can build upon if they so choose.

1. Static Puzzle

A static, non-interactive game that can be solved by anyone in their own time. It is published by the Game Master in its entirety with all clues presented, read by the Challenger, and from the clues it is possible for the Challenger to reach a solution. An in-text example of this is Bernkastel’s Gameboard from Episode 8 with the purple text.

The latter two are interactive role-playing games, with one distinct difference.

2. Meta RPG

An interactive role-playing game where the Game Master invites one or more people to challenge her. The Gameboard can be presented all at once like the static puzzle, or gradually revealed over time, but the Challenger needs to be provided with the opportunity to cross blades with the Game Master; each side wielding the Red and Blue truth to force their opponent into checkmate. It is distinguished from the third type by the fact that the Challengers in this game cannot directly interact with the Gameboard in any way.

3. Real-Time RPG

An interactive role-playing game where the Game Master invites one or more people to challenge her. In this type, the Gameboard is presented to the Challengers in real time. The Challengers each control a piece on the Gameboard, while the Game Master narrates the events happening on the Gameboard to the Challengers, explaining everything they see and hear and giving them opportunities to choose how their piece will act on the Gameboard. At any point in time the Challengers or Game Master can pause Gameboard to interact on the Meta level, and exchange Red and Blue truths. Following the rules established by Lambdadelta in Episode 5, at the time the Gameboard reaches its end, the final battle will take place on the Meta level to determine a winner, requiring the Game Master to respond to all Blue with Red.

I think you’ll find that as we progress from the first to third types, they increase in difficulty to set up and play, but also in the amount of potential for entertainment they hold. I’ve tried to leave these different classifications as open as possible, so as not to place unnecessary limitations on anybody who might decide to use any of these as the basis for their game. Really, people can do whatever they want with this. It doesn’t have to be set on Rokkenjima, it doesn’t even have to be about a witch. What makes the Umineko formula so interesting to me is the meta, and the red and blue truth. But people could add all sorts of custom rules to their games to keep them interesting and unique.

Here’s a couple of ideas I’ve had in my head since establishing this basis. Type 1 seems to be the kind of thing you can publish anywhere and let people solve it, but Type 2 seems like a perfect fit for message boards to me. I’ve already seen an example of this online, but basically the Game Master would post their Gameboard on a forum, and invite anybody on the forum to attempt to jump in and add their own blue statements for the GM to respond to. The example I saw of this had the GM post the Gameboard in 5-10 segments, allowing Challengers to wield the blue truth at any time in-between, but you could just as easily post the entirety of the Gameboard in one post and let the Meta game unfold from there.

Type 3 seems like it would be played best in person or through real-time online voice or text chat, maybe with a map to visibly move pieces around, like Dungeons & Dragons and the like. But one idea I had was having the Game Master invite a single challenger to their game, communicating through voice or video, and streaming their game for the whole world to see. This could work for Type 2 or 3. You could even turn it into a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire sort of thing, where the Challenger can ask the stream viewers questions a limited number of times to gain some new perspective and ideas.

Type 3 has all sorts of custom rules you could put in place to make things interesting. Umineko itself has plenty of fodder for different ideas, like providing the challenger with tools like the duct tape or other special agencies to establish red truth without the consent of the Game Master. You could choose whether or not to incorporate Knox or Van Dine’s rules. Or you could decide on whether or not to allow the Challenger to adopt an EP6 Erika style of play, where the Challenger becomes the aggressor in an attempt to corner the Game Master into a logic error, conceding victory to the Challenger.

Or, another more exotic idea I had: you could mix up Type 3 even further by having an entire group of Challengers controlling pieces on the Gameboard, but one of the Challengers is secretly the culprit. They would be interacting with the other Challengers pretending to advance the story and corner the Game Master, but secretly working with the Game Master to throw the other Challengers off the trail. The trick here would be that any narration the Game Master makes about what the culprit piece sees or hears could be falsified. So for example, if the culprit piece splits off from the rest of the players on the Gameboard, the Game Master would be able to work with the culprit Challenger to construct a completely false narrative about what they did after they left, perhaps allowing the murders to take place in that time. As a result, the Challengers would need to spend time questioning each other to determine whether they can trust each other, while trying to determine which one is the culprit. I really like this idea, but it would probably be very difficult, and require a high level of competency from all players involved. It also shifts the focus away from the Game Master and more onto the Challengers themselves.

Of course, a simpler idea would be to incorporate something similar to the purple text rule in Episode 8, where only the culprits are allowed to lie to the Challenger’s piece. Throw in some detective’s authority and theatregoing authority too if you want to make things a bit easier on the Challenger.

Well, here’s just some ideas I’ve had. What do you think of my three types of games? Do you think they’re pretty solid, or is there room for dispute? Is there perhaps a 4th or 5th type I haven’t considered?

Do you have any other ideas of different rules you could use to create an interesting game from this basis? Please let me know if you have any more ideas, there’s bound to be an unlimited number of different rules you could add onto these three base games I’ve thought of.

Would you yourself consider using one of these three bases for constructing your own game? If anyone does decide to do so, please let me know, because I would love to see them. Or if you’ve even created your own game that doesn’t subscribe to these bases, I’d be interested to see it nonetheless.

All this talk about games almost makes me want to construct my own game…

Thoughts of an aging Otaku

I’m 22 this year, going on 23, and I love Anime. Not to say I love all Anime; over the years I’ve been watching I’ve acquired a more developed appreciation for the medium. You won’t hear me singing praises of Sword Art Online, yet nothing gets me more excited than discussing Umineko or Little Busters.

I’m writing today because I’ve recently noticed that all of a sudden, most of my peers are dropping this hobby. It seems I’ve reached the age where this kind of thing isn’t as socially accepted as it once was. I know I’m still young, but it’s only going to become more of an issue as I continue to age. The average Anime convention attendee is about 5 years my junior; it’s not long before I start feeling out of place.

I made a lot of my current friends through connections based on a mutual love of Anime and related Japanese culture. What I’m seeing now is majority of those friends are abandoning that hobby, with varying comments from “I don’t have time for it any more” to “I’ve grown out of it”. I know rationally this shouldn’t affect me, but seeing it happen to all my friends leaves me with an irrational feeling of loss that I’m still learning how to cope with. For many of them, this mutual interest is what sustains our relationship, and losing that common thread can be devastating. But that’s not the only issue. Hearing comments like that causes me to seriously question my hobby, and how it influences my identity as an adult. Most of us are only able to continue hobbies like these because we have the acceptance of our peers and some of assurance that it’s okay to like the things we do. But seeing all my peers and friends drop that hobby, I begin to question the validity of my interests. Am I just a child that can’t face reality? Do I need to grow up? The prevalent NEET Otaku stereotype doesn’t help matters either. I’m sure many of my peers faced similar questions, and decided to leave it behind in favour of new, more adult ways to spend their time.

Unfortunately, I’m a bit stubborn. I think it’s very important to assess our behavior and how we fit into society, but I can’t accept that getting excited over something like Umineko is merely a phase to grow out of. I can only speak for myself, but the answer I’ve reached is this. I want to build my adult life around this passion. Is that a strange answer? Anime, and it’s related culture, is such a big part of my life, such a big passion that I’m convinced I won’t grow out of it. It’s here to stay. So, I figure the best way to continue is to integrate it into my identity as an adult. I want to build a career around it. My inspiration has come about from seeing so many adults working in the industry who love Anime, and built their career around that love. I can’t imagine a better life than building a career around what you love; that’s what I want to emulate. Maybe I’ll end up selling Anime merch, maybe I’ll get into licensing series’, or maybe even localisation work. I’m not sure exactly how yet, but I want to be able to give something back, to integrate Anime and Manga and Games into my adult life. It just… Makes sense to me. Is that so strange?

So, I’ll be closing with some open messages. To those of you who may be unfamiliar with the culture, don’t be so quick to judge it. While there are many bad examples of Anime fandom, and heaps i’d really poor Anine, there’s a lot of his stuff out there. A lot of heart that goes into producing Anime, and some of the stories I’ve discovered through the medium have such profound messages, the likes of which can change a man’s life. Some have brought me to cry where I barely shed a tear anywhere else. Maybe if you give it a chance, you’ll find a series even you can appreciate. It’s just too broad to judge based on one or two impressions.

To those who have moved on from Anime, I wish you all the best. I’m sure you reached that decision after some careful deliberation, and while I’m still learning to cope with seeing some of my friends turn away, I can only respect their decision. I only ask that you don’t cast judgment on those of us who will continue to love that culture late into our lives. It was special; I hope you don’t forget that feeling.

And to those out there my age and older facing similar questions, don’t lose heart. Loving Anime doesn’t make you immature. You need to look inside yourself and decide if this is the kind of adult you want to be, and if it is, then you have my support. It’s not always easy to go against the crowd, but what’s most important is that you live your life for yourself, rather than based on what you think you SHOULD be doing. And most importantly, no matter how it may seem, you’re not alone.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Let’s continue moving forward.

Little Busters!: Common Route Day-By-Day Reflections

Hey guys! Just dropping by to let you know that I’ve been doing a little Reflection series at Kazamatsuri.org. Since the 14th of May, I’ve been reading through the common route alongside the days of the month, writing a short reflection on each day. They’re getting longer and longer though, and if you’re a reader here then you probably like listening to my reflections~

If you’re a Little Busters fan, check it out! It may contain some spoilers though, so be wary.